Arbiter Knights
The Arbiter Knights are a 27th founding Ultima Chapter. Successors of the Dark Angels, the Arbiter Knights are the sole strike force of the Adeptus Juditorium, whose sole purpose is to gather information and purge early signs of chaos and Xeno corruption. When the Adeptus Juditorium has deemed a soldier corrupt, The Arbiter Knights will stop at nothing to rid them of their existence. A loyal cause, but one of controversial practice. Many other factions, not just parts of the Imperium, have come to see the actions of the Adeptus Juditorium and the Arbiter Knights as preemptive and "of an agenda", which is not helped by the rumoured secretive links to the inquisition. Although claiming loyalty to the Emperor of Mankind, their ability to make swift judgment and quick action against their fellow man has made many question that loyalty. Others, however, see it as a necessity to keep the spread of Chaos and Tyrannic corruption at bay. Or perhaps those who praise them hope to buy favour, so that the Arbiter Knights don't come knocking… But what can be said of the Arbiter Knights is that they are imbued with an almost pure honour and respect for combat, never resorting to cheap tactics, and more often than not would rather clash swords than fire bolters. After passing judgment, they will always give the accused the chance to peacefully relinquish themselves. However acceptance of corruption is not easy, and after the Arbiter Knights have made their choice, their minds cannot be changed. A certain stubbornness that makes them difficult as allies. Arbiter Knights are a chapter made solely of Primaries Marines, at the request of Iudex Gavelwing, the Chapter Master, due to their ability to overpower the standard Astartes marines, at least on an individual basis, to perform their duty more effectively. Chapter History Arbiter Knights are not known for their battle victories, they themselves know that. They exist to serve a thankless and lonely purpose. Having seen the events that led to “The Fallen”, Arbiter Knights and their governing body have sworn to never let heresy among marines to get to that point again. A noble cause at its inception, some theorise that the seemingly unfeeling and remorseless image of the chapter is an exaggeration through rumours and word of mouth. The Arbiter Knights have cleansed and restored numerous chapters, companies and even entire worlds from complete annihilation, and have also passed judgment that has stopped chapters from incorrectly being labelled heretical by the Inquisition. Records of their actions are kept in the “Book of Fate” that is always strapped at the waist of Iudex, so as to not be tampered with, and incorrect information to be added to forge false accusations. Although it is not entirely certain, it is to be believed that they are influenced by corrupt and power-hungry individuals in their high councils. Although Iudex is well known for is unwavering and steadfast methods. Ultima Founding Guilliman had anticipated the need for a new breed of hero for this, the darkest age in the Imperium's history. He knew that the galaxy would need warriors resilient enough to stand against the Forces of Chaos as the Imperium found itself poised on the brink of annihilation. To that end, for 10,000 standard years, Archmagos Cawl had been working on improving the Adeptus Astartes themselves. The result was the Primaris Space Marines, a more powerful corps of transhuman warriors, more potent than even the original Astartes. New armies were raised in breathtaking numbers and new and terrible weapons were developed whose fury even the worshippers of the Dark Gods would be unable to withstand. This host of newly created transhuman warriors was not only created just as reinforcements to existing Chapters, for Guilliman had decreed that new Chapters should be created as well, composed entirely of Primaris Space Marines. The warriors of these new Chapters were created entirely through the new processes discovered by Archmagos Belisarius Cawl and established with all the necessary weapons, armour and equipment that they would need to conduct their defence of the Imperium. These Chapters still trace their genetic lineage back to the gene-seed of the First Founding, and scions of all nine Loyalist Space Marine Legions emerged from the vaults beneath the Red Planet. Indomitus Crusade With Roboute Guilliman re-installed as the Lord Commander of the Imperium, the resurrected Primarch wasted no time in enacting his plans to take the fight to the Forces of Chaos. Guilliman called for action and ordered the mustering of a mighty armada. With elements from the Adeptus Custodes, a contingent of the Silent Sisterhood as well as several Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes as well as newly created Chapters of the Ultima Founding, Guilliman launched his Indomitus Crusade. As the Crusade pushed outwards from Terra towards their many destinations, their ranks were swelled with ever more Imperial forces eager to join the Crusade led by the only known living son of the Emperor. As the Indomitus Crusade pushed ever deeper into the galaxy, Archmagos Cawl awoke thousands of Primaris Space Marines from stasis deep within the labyrinthine holds of his Ark Mechanicus Zar-Quaesitor. Some of these superior transhuman warriors were designated to be reinforcements for existing Chapters, while others comprised entirely new Chapters. As the Emperor of Mankind stretched fourth out into the galaxy claiming back the territories, chaos and Tyrannic corruption was beginning to spread through open backdoors. With the focus being used elsewhere it was easy for evil forces to creep in. Someone needed to watch over the homeworlds. Iudex, a veteran of the Dark angels serving alongside Azreal, forged the Arbiter Knights made from his chosen Primaries Marines to carry out his noble cause of defending the homeworld from corruption and infestation. Something Iudex had a talent for. Iudex was quick to action, having already started his “Book of Fate” later in his Dark Angels service, and needing quick action on several Astartes members. The Arbiter Knights came quick to legend, a purging force of unmatched efficiency, spending not a minute longer than necessary. Iudex and his knights within two standard years had wiped out the then widespread chaos and Tyrannic corruption in the now named Iuris system. Upon where we would lay ground and base his Chapter from. Chapter Homeworld Iuris (yur-ris) was an infested jungle world in which Chaos and Tyranid forces were able to fester undetected due to the thick foliage shielding them from radars. It lay on the border of the imperial reach after the warp rift across the Cicatrix Maledictum known as the Eye of Terror, from which Chaos festers from. The planet lies just within striking distance of the Space Wolves home of "Fenris" and The Dark Angels home "The Rock", and both are therefore grateful towards the Arbiter Knights, despite the attrition between them. “The Iuris Purging War” lasted several years, as the infestation had become so ingrained in the planet with tunnels running underground making complete eradication a difficult feat. The war was so violent that it left the vegetation beyond repair after the fire purging the jungle, leaving the planet almost unrecognisable from the lush tall trees that had existed before. Iudex, needing a homeworld and base of operation, took ground on the planet of Iuris and began construction of The Iudecium Monetary, a beacon of fair judgement and law from which Iudex and his council perform their research and pass final judgements. Then needing a force to carry out his judgements, he founded The Arbiter Knights making Iuris the Homeworld and the sole Recruiting world for the chapter. Over the thousands of years, the Arbiter knights have called Iuris home, the planet has become a sprawling mega-city that spans the entire surface. This has changed the climate of the planet so drastically that, where before it was tropical, it more often than not rains or snows all year round. The Arbiter Knights have not stretched out further then Iuris, however. This has helped them to focus solely on the purpose of the chapter Iudex set to carry out. However, it has left them vulnerable to raids from the ward rift as they only have the one defensive point and can easily be overwhelmed. They called upon a favour from the Imperial Fists to help with their defence systems and, besides Terra and Mars itself, has become one of the most heavily guarded planets in the system as it holds so many secrets of other chapters. The planet consists of one planet-wide Mega-city, divided into various hubs that serve different purposes. Some are the centres of government and the judgement councils, others are skyscraper ultra-farms that work just to feed the inhabitants of the planet. Iurisian Culture Much like its parent chapter, Iurisian culture is a heavily class-based social system where the high councils and Educational core live in relative luxury, while the industrial and agricultural zones can be forgotten and crime-ridden. although possible to advance through the ranks, it's not common practice. Most are born with a purpose, be that tending to the crops or performing planetary probing research, and each will likely do that until death or being discharged. The members of the high courts and judgement circles are those born and raised in complete isolation to the rest of the world, kept securely within the walls of Adeptus Juditorium, the branch that teaches and bestows the rights of judgement on selected students. With many of these students also becoming part of the Adeptus Astartes as well, the Space marines of the Arbiter Knights are some of the most valued in the galaxy due to the battle strength and level of academic study. However, their numbers are small due to the strict and harsh vetting protocol. If an initiate fails at either the study or battle training their memories will be wiped and they will be placed in the industrial districts as an outcast, a former shell of themselves, outcast by society. Among the high courts are some of the greatest minds of the galaxy. Iudex created them with purity of the mind as one of founding ideas. the council judges are kept isolated throughout their lives in order to completely remove the possibility of corruption and leaves them as remorseless deciders of fate. This cold and protective way of governing has left the Arbiter Knights to be looked upon with suspicious eyes as their secrecy of their decisions and who makes them leaving many untrusting of them. Arbiter Knights will demand information, but will never give it out. Yet the streets of Iuris are just as harsh and unforgiving. Backstreet dealings and nightclubs host the criminal activities of the cities many gangs. Failed initiates, many of whom have partway completed the implant process of a marine, are swept up by these gangs and used as powerful grunts. It’s rumoured that some have become high ranking members of these gangs. Street life is often dictated by these gangs, and living under the thumb of one can make life very difficult. Protection payments and forced participation of men, women and children are common occurrences. The divide between these two worlds has always been there. The upper class of the planet have not a second thought of those in “The Lower Streets”. Under the authority of Angustino the Third, a Street-level Sheriff, crime became rife as it was discovered he had allegedly been tasked with nurturing street crime in order to keep the population under control. Despite his death sentence but the high courts, many believe the practice is continued by his successors. Others believe that the High courts run the planet-wide gangs as a means of funding the other branches of government as the Arbiter Knights do not have the luxury of many planets resources, but so far that is unconfirmed. Even within the Arbiter Knight marine ranks, much of the inner workings of the high courts are unknown despite being educated within their walls. Often only the leasing officer on a purging assault will know the true target, leaving the marines no there choice than to kill everyone. With such a fair and pure idea at conception, and a Chapter Master with such unyielding kindness, somewhere along the way the practice become so shrouded in mystery and cold, that many fear the Arbiter Knights arrival to a planet. Adeptus Juditorium The Adeptus Juditorum, when Iudex and the Arbiter Knights first colonised Iuris, was a small council that consisted of Iudex and his inner circle of veteran battle brothers and scholars to form the original Courtom Foundicum. It was a transparent process open to criticism from those appointed. However, the planet expanded rapidly and the duties become more necessary, Iudex split the original council into 12 separate councils to form the Adeptus Juditorum, appointing the 12 members of the Courtom Foundicum to their own councils. This is where the seed of political corruption is theorised to have begun. With the 12 councils needing to fill their seats, a cutthroat battle of politics and power grabbing began, with outsider influences and funding playing a large part in the appointment of several seats in each council. And now with those wanting to retain their new found power creating the class system on Iuris in order to create the divide between them and competition. Many 2nd founding council members have been caught taking money and power from unknown sources, and sometimes from self-interest, in order to influence the outcomes of judgements. It only takes a few bad eggs to ruin a batch. Chapter Recruitment The Arbiter Knights recruit only from students of the Adeptus Juditorum and high courts, as they are seen as already purer than those of street dwellers. Those who show a particular academic excellence from an early age are chosen to also become part of the Adeptus Astartes by the “Men of Knighthood”, physically similar to those of the “Watchers in the Dark” of the Dark Angels, but who actually seem to enjoy their fame. Those who are chosen, or as they are referred to as “knighted”, then become separate for society for the rest of the schooling as they go through the process of becoming a Space Marine. They are tested also to their physical strength, often partaking in death games set out by the upper class as a form of entertainment, where “the knighted” will fight to the death in their fighting style, often one of longswords and shields. Those who survive the many rounds they are then tested for their endurance often forced to walk naked in the snowy tundra of the planet for several weeks surviving cold and starvation. After they have passed, they are “fully knighted”, with a planet-wide ceremony and feast among the 12 councils. They are then bestowed the limited information new recruits are given, enough to perform their duties, and are appointed to their department of judgement and will play their role until a battle mission is issued. At random initials, members of the Arbiter Knights have their mind is probed by the Adeptus Juditorium’s Librarians for signs of mental weakness that will make them easy prey for the chaotic corruption and the tainting of the Judgment system. Those who fail the test are never seen again, and any trace of their existence remove Chapter Gene-Seed The Dark Angels and their successor chapters are collectively known as the "Unforgiven" and generally maintain close links with each other. The Chapter Masters of each chapter belong to the Inner Circle and also carry the honorific of "Grand Master of the Inner Circle". Dark Angel's Successor Chapters, much like themselves, will abandon everything for the hunt of the Fallen. Iudex Gavelwing is the only Chapter Master to pull his membership to the inner circle, refusing to be bound to what he believes to be a wasteful purpose of fighting the fallen. Deciding that there was enough already taken to this cause, he created the Arbiter Knights to chase his own. The Dark Angels and their Successor Chapters, collectively known as the Unforgiven, have an unusually close bond, often working hand-in-hand with one another. This is why the Arbiter Knights are often looked down upon by other successor chapters as they do not fight for the same cause. However, they are a Chapter, much like all dark angel successors, that has a tendency to be highly suspicious of outsiders and often appear unreasonably aloof and intransigent. Chapter Organisation ▪ Supreme Grand Judicator - The Arbiter Knights' Chapter Master is known instead as the Supreme Grand Judicator. It is his duty to overlook the judicial process in the Adeptus Auditorium and make the final judgement as to the fate of a subject. Only the Supreme Grand Judicator is privy to all of the Juditoriums chambers and information. ▪ Grand Prosecutor of the Ironwing - The Grand Prosecutor of the Ironwing is the Prosecutor (Captain) of the Chapter's Veteran 1stCompany. He is generally considered to be the natural successor and right-hand man of the current Supreme Grand Judicator. The Grand Prosecutor of the Ironwing usually knows almost all of the secrets held by the Adeptus Juditorium; only the Supreme Grand Master knows more than this veteran officer of the Chapter. The Grand prosecutor of the Ironwing will be the spearhead of the majority of assaults of passed judgements by the Adeptus Juditorium ▪ Grand Investigator of Librarians - The Grand Investigator of Librarians serves as the Chapter's Chief Librarian and oversees the research of the Adeptus Juditorium. He is responsible for maintaining all of the Judgement records and the security of the Juditoriums secrets. He is a member of the High Court and is thus one of the only members of the Chapter privy to the whole judicial process. But the high council could never agree ▪ Master Apothecary - The Master Apothecary serves as the Chapter's Chief Apothecary and oversees the medical needs of all Dark Angels as well as all biological research conducted by the Chapter. The Grand Master of Apothecaries' most important duty is to preserve and maintain the purity of the Chapter's stock of gene-seed. He is a member of the Inner Circle and is thus one of the only members of the Chapter privy to the whole truth surrounding the Fallen. ▪ High Interrogator - The High Interrogator, also known as The Supreme Chaplain, serves as the Arbiter Knights High Chaplain, and oversees the duties of all of the other Chaplains of the Chapter. His most important duty is to train the Arbiter Knights special class of Prosecuting-Interrogator and he is usually a master of their art of interrogation, psychological manipulation and information extraction. He is a member of the high Court and is thus one of the only members of the Chapter privy to the whole truth surrounding the Fallen. ▪ Prosecuting-Interrogator - The Arbiter Knights maintain a very special cadre of Chaplains known as Prosecuting-Interrogator who are tasked with getting any suspects of the high courts to admit to the corruption and reveal any further information that would lead to a judgment, although usually, just the confession is enough to justify an all-out assault. Prosecutor-Interrogators are as skilled in the arts of interrogation, information extraction and psychological manipulation as the most experienced members of the Inquisition. Prosecutor-Interrogators are not members of the High Court, but are required to report to it. Their duties require that they have knowledge of many more of the Chapter's secrets than is normal for Arbiter Knights of their rank. ▪ Ironwing Knight - An Ironwing Knight is a fell-handed warrior of the Arbiter Knights, a member of the elite 1st Company (the Ironwing) whose glorious deeds on the field of battle are matched only by his unflinching devotion to the Chapter and High Court. Many descended directly from the Deathwing of the Dark Angels, Ironwing Knights are a truly imposing sight in their full Ironclad armour. They embody silent strength and a veiled, yet still palpable nobility. They become the ultimate upholders of ancient Chapter traditions and the most skilled fighting unit of the Arbiter Knights. In battle, the Ironwing Knights wield ancient weapons specially forged for true Judgement. Few foes dare to stand before them -- none do so for long. They are the core fighting force of the Arbiter Knights, and carry out the judgement passed by the Juditorium, making sure that those who hear the stories of such assaults don’t dare to think twice about turning to the forces of chaos. When a member of the Ironwing is deemed worthy of the honour, he is brought into the Chamber of Judgments at the High Court of Iuris to face a series of challenges, each of which has been individualised to test the candidate's strength, resolve and loyalty to the Chapter past any breaking point he may possess. Should the Astartes prevail in these tests, the warrior is granted the title of Knight and passes beneath the shadowed arch at the heart of the Chamber of Judgment. The “Men of Knighthood” present to him a Hammer of Judgement and a Shield of Justice -- both priceless heirlooms. The thundering crash of their hammers shudders the very ground itself. Category:Dark Angels Successors Category:Imperium Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Ultima Founding